Mass Humanities, a nonprofit organization committed to promoting the humanities throughout Massachusetts, offers the “Expand Massachusetts Stories: Story Forward” grant. This funding opportunity supports past recipients of the Expand Massachusetts Stories (EMS) grants who aim to advance or build upon their original projects. These projects must focus on storytelling, particularly narratives that have historically been excluded or underrepresented in public discourse. The grant is intended to help elevate such voices and ensure broader engagement with diverse community experiences.
Applicants are eligible only if they received an EMS grant between 2021 and 2023. To qualify, organizations must either have completed the previous grant and submitted a final report, or they must have submitted an interim report at least three weeks prior to the letter of inquiry (LOI) deadline. Applicants must maintain the same nonprofit status as in their original EMS award, or provide an update to Mass Humanities within their LOI. Additionally, applicants must serve Massachusetts residents.
The grant provides up to $20,000 per project. Between 10 and 20 grants are expected to be awarded. Projects can vary widely, including extending oral history collections, developing traveling museum exhibits, introducing documentary screenings to new audiences, creating educational materials for K-12 students, hosting discussion programs, enhancing archive accessibility, and deepening humanities content. All projects should aim to further the EMS initiative’s purpose and make meaningful contributions to Massachusetts communities.
The application process opens with a Letter of Inquiry phase starting on March 10, 2025. The LOI deadline is June 9, 2025. Applicants will be notified of their LOI status by July 7, 2025, at which point the full proposal window opens. Final proposals are due September 2, 2025. Awards will be announced on October 31, 2025, and the grant period officially begins on November 1, 2025.
Mass Humanities offers ongoing support through webinars and workshops designed to help applicants develop competitive proposals. These events provide opportunities to engage with the organization, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of how to align proposals with the funder's mission.
For more information or questions, applicants can refer to the Grant Guidelines, attend webinars, or contact Mass Humanities directly through the methods provided on their official website.
